With the advent of sophisticated computers, facsimile machines, printers, and other computer-related electronics equipment, the need for external memory storage of important data to be used by the computer and computer-related equipment is ever increasing. To this end, memory cards containing external memory and data to be used in computer processes have been designed. Examples of such memory cards are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,106--Kiku, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,091--Maniwa et al., the teachings of both being specifically incorporated herein by reference. Such memory cards are useful for printers, copiers, word processors, telefax machines, and other electronic equipment which require an external memory.
As shown in the Kiku and Maniwa et al. patents, memory cards generally comprise a printed circuit board, a casing made of an insulating material for housing the printed circuit board, and at least one connector. The connector is typically provided on one end of the casing for interfacing the memory card, and particularly the printed circuit board contained in the casing, to the computer equipment to which the card is mated. The connector is generally denoted an "input/ output" or "I/O" connector and is designed to extract the contents of the memory stored on the printed circuit board and to bus data to and from an outside environment, which also usually comprises a computer or other electronic equipment. In this fashion, data traverses the interface between the memory card and the outside environment so that the data can be efficiently transferred and used by the computer to which the card is mated for its intended purpose.
Memory cards are generally interchangeable and can be used with many different machines and electronic components. Because the memory cards are interchangeable, they undergo a significant amount of abuse when transported, interfaced and mated to the different computers and electronic equipment which use them. Since a memory card is conventionally made up of a number of layers and/or elements glued or otherwise bonded together, the individual layers tend to become loose and/or separated from one another as the memory card is subject to flexing stress, as typically occurs when the card is inserted into or removed from the electronic or other computer-type equipment. Thus, even after moderate amounts of usage, conventional memory cards have heretofore frequently become structurally loose, and the internal members of the card often become misaligned. This results in failure of the memory card and degrades the performance of the electronic equipment which uses the card. These undesirable results generally induce poor performance of the computer system which uses the memory card.
Accordingly, applicants have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a memory card having sufficient structural integrity to withstand prolonged and frequent mating and demating with different pieces of electronic equipment. It is also desirable that a memory card provide such structural superiority without sacrificing performance of the memory card. Furthermore, it is desirable that such memory cards be constructed from standard equipment using elements which require little modification to provide structural integrity to the card. These objects have not heretofore been achieved in the art.